DeeCRACKS: “I wish I could say I’ve learned a thing”

PRT: More than 20 years in, what is it that keeps you going? And what is one thing you still secretly dream of achieving someday?

Matt: Well, I am not sure what keeps us going, tbh. I don’t think we really need a reason. We simply enjoy it still, for now. We never really had goals or anything like that. We just wanted to play the kinda music we wanted, and that hasn’t really changed.

Mike: We definitely love travelling and being amongst peers. Back home, we are surrounded by friends and family, both cheering us on yet still questioning why we are doing this at all. It’s a lot of work, and we only live with the decision to do this, not from it. But it’s the best thing we ever did. We get to express ourselves, travel, meet interesting people, and start international friendships, all while getting applauded for it every night. So, as much hard work as it is, in the end, it makes life better.

PRT: In 2023 you released 20 Years. A Frantic Effort with re-recorded versions of fan-favorite songs. Was it hard to make that selection?

Matt: That record was pretty much based on our live set. We tried to record all the songs the way we would perform ’em on stage. Besides some overdubs here and there, of course. So deciding on the song selection wasn’t really difficult, since we simply had to add some deep cuts/favorites of ours to the live set. I think the whole thing turned out just like we intended it to.

PRT: A year later, you teamed up with Andrea Manges for the Ramones Brain Drain tribute. Did you learn anything new about the original album while recording your version?

Matt: Doing a Ramones cover record was something we always wanted to do. Teaming up with Andrea was a lot of fun. Brain Drain was his and my first Ramones album, so we kinda knew it pretty well already (with all its ups and downs), and there wasn’t much new to learn about it. It might not appear in most Ramones fans’ top 5, but it’s still an important record to me, and I’d say it’s cool that we put our stamp on it.

Mike: I actually never saw us doing an entire Ramones record. I thought it was just van talk, but of course, when Andrea and Matt came up with the idea, we were all for it. Brain Drain was not my favorite Ramones album, but once I worked out the songs in detail and added my spin on the drum parts, it grew on me more and more. So I guess I learned to love it more than I did before.

PRT: Did diving deep into someone else’s classic material recharge your creative battery?

Matt: Hmm, not really. Recording Brain Drain didn’t take much time. We tried to stay as close as possible to the original. Well, we added synths or guitars here and there and sped up the whole thing a bit, but that’s it. I can’t say that that somehow pushed me to write songs for the new album or anything like that.

PRT: True Nothing packs a whopping 18 tracks. How much time and effort goes into determining the sequencing and pacing of the album?

Matt: The first and last songs, as well as the pace of the record, are already decided before we go into the studio. I demo everything at home, get it to the others to learn, and then we record. For this record, we didn’t even practice together once. As for sequencing, we just tried to keep it as exciting as possible. But that’s up to the listener to decide whether we succeeded or not…

Mike: We actually recorded a total of 20 songs, but we kept two on the side for other things. The tracklist for the album came together quickly. Matt came up with a first suggestion, and we just made a few tweaks together. We weren’t sure how many songs to put on the album, but we ended up with 18, since the running time is still just under 30 minutes that way.

PRT: Which track took the longest to get right in the studio? And which one came together in virtually a single take?

Matt: We are usually pretty fast in the studio. The whole session took a week or so to be done. Since we record separately, I can only answer this question from my point of view. None of the songs were really a challenge, I’d say. For me personally, it sometimes took me a while to get my vocals right. But that’s mainly the “fault” of our producer, Chris Fogal (The Gamits), who apparently sees me as a better singer than I actually am.

Mike: What Matt forgot is that I recorded drums a few weeks earlier, in about two days, with Marco Perdacher, who produced almost all our music up until this record. Working out the rest with Chris was great. He pushed us on our vocal parts, which I liked (more than Matt, it seems). He had faith in our abilities, so it gave us some confidence, too, every time we nailed something.

PRT: Some of the songs are angrier than before. Is that because of personal stuff that you’re going through or a result of the state of the world in general?

Matt: I’d say it’s a combination of all of that. While it was definitely intended to make a slightly angrier and faster album than the last one (Serious Issues), it still kinda just happened naturally. I never really plan what a song will be about ahead of writing it. So it’s not like I see or hear something and then say, “I’m gonna write a song about that.” It kinda always starts with the melody/character of the song, and then I just go from there, you know.

PRT: Does it ever happen that you write a song that doesn’t sound DeeCRACKS-y enough? Or are you so tuned in to your style that that never happens?

Matt: Yes, of course. But it’s not that it just happens; it is intentional. I enjoy different music genres, so naturally I write songs in those styles as well. Like surf rock, power pop, or garage rock, for example. Besides that, Mike and I also play in a band called Jagger Holly, which is a lil more power pop/mid-tempo-ish, where I am also heavily involved in songwriting and arrangements.

PRT: Since the release of 2018’s Sonic Delusions, you’ve found a home with Pirates Press Records. How much of an effect does having an established American label behind you have for a European band?

Mike: Oh, it’s great working with them. They signed us because they love our work ethic, and obviously, we are both happy to have partnered up, now that True Nothing is our fourth release on the label. They do good work and care for us, which is awesome. Besides, it’s a great honor to be one of only a few European bands on such a label. Not sure if you know, but we’ve been banned from entering the USA since 2013, so it’s great to have a partner like Pirates Press Records to keep our name alive across the pond.

PRT: You have shows lined up around the release in Austria and Germany. Are there any plans to tour the rest of Europe as well?

Mike: Of course, we always have a lot of plans, but booking isn’t as easy as it once was. We’d love to still play 100 shows a year, but now it’s more likely that we do about 40–50 or something at best. Many cities and promoters only put on shows on weekends anymore, which makes touring a bit more complicated. But we’ll be around, don’t worry (haha). We are always trying to get out there as much as we can.

PRT: What is the biggest lesson you learned as a touring DIY band in your early twenties that still guides DeeCRACKS today?

Matt: I wish I could say I’ve learned a thing…

Mike: I doubt that that is true (haha). We’ve learned a lot about ourselves, I guess. For example, how aging can feel both faster and slower at the same time, if that makes sense. But it’s hard to say what the biggest lesson is.